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He recently secured a contract with the local team Southern District, where he shares the playing field with fellow countrymen like Diego Gómez Heredia and Diego Folgar Toimil.

Hong Kong's embrace of Spanish footballers doesn't end there.

Ken Ng, head of Hong Kong Kitchee, one of the top local teams, has been working with former Spanish athletes for years to develop local players.

Recently, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charity Trust donated US$5.7 million to Kitchee to start a football talent development center. The project aims to make stars out of young Hongkongers with potential.

"It's all about youth development, youth training, and hopefully in six, or eight, or 10 years time we'll have a much better group of youngsters coming through our program, and that will help Hong Kong be one of the strongest teams in Asia," Ng told CNN. "[We] will give Japan a run for their money."

Ng brought two Spanish veterans to the Far East to help: Josep Gombau, a veteran of Barcelona youth football education and current Kitchee head coach, and retired La Liga player Roberto "Chino" Losada, also a former Kitchee player.

The project includes international exposure for young players, not only with foreign coaches but also with extensive travel.

"We will give them a view of the world," Ng told CNN, "every year we will take them to Spain." There, the players will compete in events like the Mediterranean International Cup, a top juvenile international tournament held in Catalonia. The Kitchee's team competed there last March.

"It's all about youth development, youth training," Ng said.

In the meantime, Spanish players like Panera are considering Hong Kong as a permanent home.